What Are the Causes of Recurring Headaches?

Recurring headaches are among the most common illnesses that afflict people, and happen for many reasons, including stress, over-medication and neck pain. Finding an appropriate remedy depends on the cause, intensity and location of the particular headache involved.

Significance

• More than 45 million Americans suffer from recurring headaches, which are blamed for $50 billion per year in lost productivity, according to the Discovery Health Channel. Americans spend about $4 billion per year on over-the-counter medications to relieve their pain.

Causes

• Throbbing pain that lasts 4 to 72 hours--and difficulty dealing with loud sounds, or strong smells--can indicate a migraine headache. Relevant causes include allergies, barometric pressure, menstrual cycle changes, depression or stress, according to Headache-advisor.com.

Considerations

• Sudden, stabbing pain that groups around the eyes can suggest cluster headaches, which tend to be short-lived. What causes them is not clearly understood, but some suggestions have included extreme temperatures, glare, hay fever and even sexual activity, according to eMedicine.com.

Effects

• Straining the neck muscles--or getting involved in a minor car accident--can trigger the pain and spasms associated with a cervicogenic headache, according to Headache-advisor.com. Most of the time, a short course of medication and physical therapy can relieve the problem.

Warning

• Relying on over-the-counter medications carries hidden costs.

  Overusing common pain medications can lead to analgesic rebound headaches, particularly with three or more doses per week, according to Headache-advisor.com. Simply discontinuing these medications is enough to stop the recurrence, particularly if the headaches are not happening weekly.

Factors

• Neuralgia, or nerve pain running along the jaw--or side of the face--is a lesser-known cause of recurring headaches.